Glamorlux Nancy’s 1959 pink bathroom

Glamorlux aka Nancy is a new reader, who sent these darling photos of her 1959 pink hall bathroom. She didn’t have to be on the blog too long to know how to get my attention!

Hi Pam,

Just wanted to introduce myself. My husband and I are restoring a 1959 split-level house back to its original mid-century glory. Luckily, most of the original fixtures and features were never updated – including a pink bathroom! We are gathering the materials to re-do our kitchen. It has the original Textolite “golden beige twilight” countertops, however, they are worn and don’t have the metal banding, which we like the look of. So, we just ordered the Formica Aqua Boomerang laminate through The Home Depot (where a 3′ x 10′ piece is only $56!). Thanks to you, we also ordered the ss metal banding from Dave Sanders.

Read on, and see 10 photos in all —>

…Our pink hall bathroom is part of what sold us on our 1959 split-level home. It is sort of tame as vintage pink bathrooms go, but I guess they were toning them down by the late 50’s. The toilet, tub, salt and pepper tile, mosaic floor, light fixture, casement window and venetian blind are original. We believe the sink and vanity were replaced (probably in the 1980’s), but at least they didn’t put in an oak cabinet! It had the original Hall-Mack bathroom accessories, which we transferred to the master bath, and replaced with lucite and chrome towel bars. I painted the mint green walls a light grey, and added a poodle theme. Most of the decor was purchased off of eBay.

Hope you like it! Thanks for your guidance so far!
Nancy

Thank you, Nancy! It is so interesting to hear from readers all over the country. Midcentury modern was not just a high falutin’ east and west coast designer phenom. Wonderful mid mod homes are are everywhere: Virginia, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Maine, Illinois, Vermont, Ohio, California, New York. Oh yeah – Kansas, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Washington, Oregon. Construction exploded in America in 1946 – Retro renovators are everywhere, man, just like that in Johnny Cash song.

SO happy to see someone else from Northern VA who loves and appreciates the 1950s homes in this area. With all the teardown/McMansions going on in the older developments I was beginning to think no one cared unless you lived in Hollin Hills. Your bathroom is beautiful and I agree that you have marvelous taste. Also thrilled that you kept the original casement window. That is another thing that is disappearing from this area in too many numbers. Looking forward to seeing pics of the entire house when you get a chance. I grew up in a 1957 Edsall Park split level built by the great Crestwood Construction Corp. Now I’m wondering if your house might have been built by them or M.T. Broyhill who was a huge builder around here. Thanks so much for the info on the Home Depot offering the aqua boomerang Formica. Which store location was that? The one in Annandale didn’t offer it when I last checked. I will be needing quite a bit of it in the future. Thanks. To our web site owner, THANKS FOR THIS WONDERFUL site. I feel sooooo at home here.
Robyn
Arlington, VA

Thanks guys for the nice comments on my bathroom! When we were younger, we decorated our first house vintage, but it was a little too much. Lots of “collections” displayed everywhere. With this house, we’re trying to make it look like a family-home really would have in the 50’s – you know, not too over the top.
Hi Robyn – Great to hear from someone else from Northern VA! Funny you would mention it, our first home was in Broyhill Crest. And, yes, on each corner of the neighborhood, is a McMansion. They look so out-of-place sitting next to the tiny 50’s post-war houses! You know, I’m not sure who built our split-level, I’ll have to look it up. Aren’t split-levels fun?!
About the Formica countertops… They are “special order”, but I believe you can get them at any Home Depot. You have to go to the kitchen design center in the store and tell them you’d like to order a sheet of Formica laminate (you can get them in different lengths and widths). Then you sit down with a designer who shows you the Formica sample book. Then you pick your pattern and they order it. It takes about 2-3 weeks to come in. The price is so much better than what you pay at retro Internet sites, because there’s no “middle-man” to be paid.
Can’t wait to hear more about your house!
=) Nancyb

If you would like, I can research who built your house and let you know as well as email you any ads for the neighborhood if they were listed in The Washington Post. I have been doing historical research, documenting my beloved Springfield, focusing on the very first subdivision out there known as Crestwoods. The Post is now archived on the Fairfax Library website and I get most of my information from that. I have an ad for Broyhill Crest when it was new. As a matter of coincidence, my favorite house in the whole world was built both in Broyhill Crest and in Crestwoods as well as 3 other Northern VA neighborhoods of the early 50’s. In Springfield it was known as a “Chesterfield”, but I haven’t found what Broyhill called it. I am sure you know the design, and may have lived in one. It was the design that had a “A” roofline where the master bedroom is. Some of the A’s were on the right and some on the left. That is my dream house of all time. If I can’t get my beloved rambler, my next choice would be a split level just like the one my parents had in Edsall Park. Yes, split levels are great, and even though most followed a basic floorplan, I have gotten hold of some builder’s magazines of the 50’s that show some creative variety in how they were laid out. I miss our house SO BAD. Back then, the neighborhood had covenants so there were no strange paint jobs, no bizarre additions and no McMansions that look like they were designed by a drunken architect at 3 AM on a coctail napkin. I have been quite depressed driving through there lately because the covenants were disbanded as being “unconstitutional” and now the place is going to the dogs both in aesthetics and in upkeep. Obvious signs of illegal boarding houses and it’s looking shabby. Our old house is looking good though. It’s been updated with new windows & siding, but structurally it’s the same, so that’s been nice to see. Thanks so much for the info on the Formica and I will follow what you mentioned. You are so right about the price difference. I have seen it for over $300 a 4X8 sheet! Even though I don’t yet own my dream house, I am gathering all the items I need for one, and will be ready to go in and “Undo” all the changes & updates. I will grab some of the aqua boomerang and the metal counter edge since I already have the correct kitchen cabinetry and an old worn, but original counter top to use. My storage unit is already screaming at me, but I will be ready and willing when the time comes. BTW, did your Broyhill Crest have the shadow box and breakfast bar counter between the kitchen and dining rooms??? Sorry for the long post, but I am just so excited to be able to share with another NVA 50’s house person. Robyn.

Hi Robyn – Wow! You really are a Fairfax Country historian! We have an original-owner a few doors down, and I think he told us the builder of our neighborhood, but now I can’t remember what he said. I’ll have to check with him. Now the area is referred to as “Old Lee Hills”, but I think that is a newer name.
I have a brochure for M.T. Broyhill’s “Crescent Hills” in Arlington, which I found at a local estate sale. It is an advertising booklet for the “new” development, with various house plans. It is 50’s, but not dated. Our old house in Broyhill Crest is a “starter home” by today’s standards, but a lot of the original owners raised families there. It is a very modest home, all brick, and “rambler” style, but doesn’t ramble much – meaning it is small. And, no breakfast bar, although that would have been awesome! I know what you mean by “undoing” updates. That’s exactly what we did (to some extent) with the Broyhill house. However, we knew we wouldn’t be staying there forever, so kept resale in mind. Now, with our split-level, we are doing what we want – resale be damned! And, luckily, unlike our first house, there wasn’t much updating done here.
Oh, and I agree with you about Fairfax County not having enough “rules”. Also, it can’t seem to enforce the rules it does have, because it’s just so huge. That is one of the reasons we moved. Little post-war, single-family homes, now house extended families of 6 or more. With each person having their own car (which they never seem to park in their own driveways), so that the streets are lined with junky cars and work vans. Man, that used to get under my skin! Now we live in Fairfax City, and they are more strict. Like in my neighborhood, you have to have a sticker to park on the street during the day, and you can’t post your own signs (like for a yard sale). It keeps the neighborhoods looking nice. I like rules!
Well, good luck with your research and house-hunting. Isn’t it fun to plan for your dream home?

nancyb – if there is any way I could get a copy of the Broyhill Crescent Hills brochure, I’d be much obliged – I live on ‘Lot 2’ of that neighborhood in a fairly original 1955 Rambler – the neighborhood still has a lot of original residents, and for the most part, the original houses remain.

Hey Robyn I am a 33 year old Fairfax County native who loves local history like you. My folks built the house at 7906 Hatteras Lane in Crestwoods Ravensworth Farms when they were married in 1963. That was where my folks were living when my 2 older brothers and older sister and I were born. After my birth in February 1976 the house got to small and then we moved into a 1968 Broyhill Split Level model in Lakevale Estates in VIenna known as the Chillicot (the name came from the Chillicot Brothers Fruit Farm which along with the old Newton Farm makes up Lakevale) later that summer. From what I have been able to piece together Lakevale Estates was the last Broyhill subdivison built because Broyhill was running out of money. For that reason what was to be an all Broyhill neighborhood turned out to be made up of mostly Broyhill and Yeaonis (a big builder in Vienna in the 50’s and 60’s that still survives today as a custom builder), Paris Properties, and Goldstien Properties with a few custom and one of a kinds thrown in for flavor. I have an original Ravensworth Farm Brochure that displays the Virginian Rambler (with the Laundry Room off the Carport) the Rambler witht he Full Basement (which is the model my folks had) and the Split Level. FYI Not only did Crestwood build these houses In Ravensworth. But the built them off of Backlick Rd over by John Mar Drive…….they built them in Manassas near the police staion and the built them out Braddock Rd in Centerville (I had a newspaper ad from 1969 when they built them in Centerville and the price of the Virginian had only gone up to 20,500 from 1963’s price of 17,500). Also in Ravensworth all the streets were in Alphabetical order from the entrance of the neighborhood to the back end and all the names had to do with the civil war. I would love to chat with you and give you a copy of the brochure I have and get copies of the brochures and ads you have. If you are interested let me know. PAT

Hi Pat,
I am sooooo sorry that I didn’t respond to your comment back in ’09 when you placed it. I hadn’t been back on this topic since I left my last comment until tonight. I hope you don’t think I was simply ignoring you. YES! I am interested in chatting with you about your folks former home in Ravensworth Farms! I have been expanding my research into that area and have run across some ads for the neighborhood that you might enjoy. I nearly fell out of my chair when I read your post, and I hope I’m not too late to get in contact with you. All of us Northern VA retro lovers should unite.
Again, so sorry I didn’t see your post for so long.
Robyn
CrestwoodsSpringfield1952

The Formica You mentioned, Im wanting to order turquoise for my bathroom, and was wondering if maybe it also came in green? I cant seem to findit on the Home Depot website, did you go to the store and look for it? any help you can give me would be a HUGE help thanks!

Hi, I have an old daltile floor just like this one except a slightly more muted pink. I feel like I really want to change the grout color to white. Has anyone had any experience with grout stain on these floors? Thanks!

Wow! I am in process of updating the 1959 house my parents built. I lucked out with the robin’s egg blue bath off the master bedroom (6-yrs ago, Corian made the perfect counter top to fit in with the wall tile), but I’m having more trouble with the pink bath. The floor has settled and cracked — I would die to replace it with the same tile, which is exactly what is shown here! I’m a novice to the site. Would love any suggstions! The main fixtures (tub, toilet & sink) were never the right color for the pretty med. pink tile. In any case they are damaged — rusting and scratched. So I am replacing them with white. My wall tile is bordered in white, both top & bottom. I presume I will have to replace floor with white, too. Very sad. Half the bue bath’s floor had to be replaced, too, but was able to salvage the tile in the walk-in shower. Ah, well … ! I am so jealous if this bath! Beautifully done.

I have this same tile (color and pattern) in my bathroom. Mine looks dingy and dirty (even though it is cleaned often). Do you know of anything that will make this tile look clean again? Thanks for any help.

We have a flooring in both bathrooms that look like this, one in blue and one in green. It looks like tile but is a laminate I think. Our house was built in 1959. Do you know if it would contain asbestos?

I keep going back to those pink poodles, because – well, it’s like a little gift to my heart, you see! Growing up in the 60s, into the 70s, our main bathroom had wallpaper with pink and black poodles at a vanity … I literally cried and begged when my mother insisted it had to come down for something “more modern” – just like I did when she banished the comfortable, upholstered, art deco dinette set, for those nasty wooden captain’s chairs and table! Anyway … love, love, love this! and Glamorlux Nancy, please start a blog!